Wanting to become a childminder, Advice needed please

**Hayleyw** · 30-01-2008, 09:56 PM

Hi, My name is Hayley.

I just Registered today hoping that you guys would be able to give me some information.

I am at present pregnant with twins due in May, Before I was pregnant i was an Auxillary Nurse, and completed my NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care.
When the twins are around 9 months old i would like to become a registered childminder, I have been on the NCMA website but there is one thing that i cant find information on, Me and my partner are moving to a 2 bed House, 1 bedroom being ours and 1 the twins, do you need a spare room to be a child minder??

Also If i already have the twins how many children will i be able to take? Sorry to ask so many questions. but i thought it best to ask the people who actually have experience.

I do have lots of experience with children as i come from a big familey, 15 nieces and nephews and 10 great nieces and nephews, as i was the youngest sister of 5 i was always the babysitter lol.

Many Thanks

**katickles** · 30-01-2008, 09:59 PM

You register the rooms that you want to in your home. My downstairs is the only areas registered. Living room, dining room (quiet area/sleep area), kitchen, conservatory, hall, porch, downstairs toilet & garden.

No need for mine to use upstairs

Also there is a thread tonight about numbers

x

**Hayleyw** · 30-01-2008, 10:01 PM

Thankyou, so what does it mean by sleep areas?

**katickles** · 30-01-2008, 10:05 PM

Just an area that small children / babies can have naps. I have a travel cot for the babies & then its down to parents routines & requirements as to the older ones napping.

Ofsted are keen on having an area in which you can allow them to have naps if required.

**Hayleyw** · 30-01-2008, 10:08 PM

Thankyou, so much for your advice, really helpfull, am still trying to work out how many children i would be allowed if i have 9 month old twins?? sorry did read other thread about ages and how many but dont really understand. sorry guys i got pregnant brain at the moment. x

**katickles** · 30-01-2008, 10:14 PM

Hay - don't worry about it, we've all had that!!

Ok - usual numbers are 6 children.

1 Child under 12 months
2 Children between 1 - 5yrs
3 Children between 5 - 8yrs

As many children over 8 that you are wanting to care for.

They will take into account your own children (these will take up some of your allocation, not sure with twins what they will take, sorry)

They also take into account the space that you have.

**sarah707** · 30-01-2008, 10:58 PM

Hi!

By the time you are registered, your twins will be over 1... so you will be able to take 1 under 1 OR 1 under 5, plus some over 5s...

I do quite well from after schoolers right up to the age of 14 so there's plenty of scope - and over 8s don't come within your numbers, so long as they don't adversely affect your care of under 8s... whatever that means...according to the standards!

**LittleMissSparkles** · 31-01-2008, 08:21 AM

just to say hello and welcome to the forum, good luck with your twins for May, think your questions have been answered now by everyone so nothing else to add

look forward to chattin xxx

**angeldelight** · 31-01-2008, 08:28 AM

I would also like to say hello and welcome to the forum

Good luck with your twins

Speak soon

Angel xx

**susi513** · 31-01-2008, 11:35 AM

hi there, welcome - I don't have a spare bedroom either. Its not necessary for daytime care, as long as you have somewhere the mindees can nap. I put cots up in lounge, some people use their bedrooms.

You can't have as many over 8s as you like unless you only care for over eights and remain unregistered and uninsured. You'll find as a registered childminder your public liability insurance will specify the total maximum number of children you can care for at any one time. (my NCMA insurance says 12, or with an assistant its 18). More than enough IMO!

So I would expect:
up to 10 children in addition to your own 2;
Of these 10 no more than 4 can be under 8;
Of these 4 no more than 1 of these can be under 5.

When you notify Ofsted that your twins have turned 5 they will change your registration to allow you up to the maximum of 6 under 8s, of these 6 no more than 3 may be under 5 and of these 3 no more than 1 may be under one.

And the standards specify a minimum area of space that must be available to each house so if you only use 1 room for minding or live in a tiny flat your numbers can be restricted even further.